Automatic buttering machine for bread



May 26, i936'. A. A. cAMBlAsso 2,042,386

AUTOMATIC BUTTERING MACHINE FOR BREAD Filed May 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l I v Srwentor: 24 /Z FZ Cmzczsso (Ittorneg MJPWWM May l26, 1936. A. A, cAMBlAsso 2,042,386

AUTOMATIC BUTTERING MACHINE FOR BREAD Filed May 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y; 5. Inventor.'

/Z Cambzsso Gttorneg Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE BRE Anibal Agustin Cambiasso, Buenos Aires, AArgentina Application May 19, 1934, Serial No. 726,566

, In Argentina June 21, 1933 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a machine for automatically buttering bread and has for its object the provision of a machine of a class described suitable for application to the usual types of'circular cutter' machines or slicers as used for cold meats and the like.

A slicerfwith the new machine applied toI it may then be usedv to cut4 and butter. slices of bread in one operation, thus saving time, reducing butter Wastage and rendering the Whole process more hygienic than is at present thercase when slices of bread cut by the'slicer are separately buttered by hand.

The new machine is especially useful in' restaurants, refreshment rooms and the like and enables sandwiches, bread and butter and the like to be prepared at very much lower cost.

The new machine is of simple' and economic construction and is adapted toi be driven by the same drive as the slicer, to which it can be connected by suitable synchronizing means. It represents but a small load on the slicer driveY and thus will not materially aiiect the operation of the latter.

The machine comprises essentially a stationary member forming an upper chamber coaxial with and superimposed upon a lower chamber, and a movable member consisting of a shaft extending centrally and coaxially through both said chambers and having associated with the portion thereof lying within the upper chamber a disc adapted to be intermittently moved longitudinally of said chamber upon rotation of said shaft. The portion of the shaft lying Within the lower chamber carries rigidly secured to it a roller of smaller diameter than'said lower chamber which latter has an opening provided in its Wall at a point such that when said machine is positioned operativelyv on a slicer the opening lies in the path of the article to be sliced when said article is in position for a cut to be taken. The shaftv is adapted to be driven through suitable gearing from the main slicer drive and means are provided to transmit the rotary motion of the shaft to said disc and transform it to intermittent translational motion of the latter.

For a better understanding of the present invention and of the manner in which it is to be performed, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described and reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a part-sectional elevation of the machine as applied to a circular slicer.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a part-sectiona1 elevation of a portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a plan View looking down on Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionV along the line 5-5 of Fig. '3.

The machine comprises a storage chamber I having a cylindrical bore and an operative chamber 2 having a cylindrical bore of smaller diameter than the former chamber and securely coupled thereto as by the screwed joint 3D so as to extend coaxially therewith. To permit of such coupling one end 3| of the storage chamber I is reduced as shown to form the conico-tubular coupling member 3Ia. The operative chamber 2 has a portion of its cylindrical wall cut away to form the discharge opening 5, and is provided at its end remote from the storage chamber iI, with a suitable closure-member as for example the screwed-in cap 32. The end of storage chamber I remote from cylinder, 2 is likewise provided with a cover I8 adapted to be secured thereto by means of the. bolts and wing-nuts indicated at I9. Both cap 32 and cover I8 carry centrally disposed bosses, 33 and 20 respectively. Boss 33 is drilled out to form a bearingfor a main shaft 6 extending axially through both the chambers I and 2. The end of the shaft 6 which projects from the cap 32 has its extremity reduced to form a tongue 25 adapted to engage in a slot provided on the enlarged end 34 of a shaft 35 which carries on its other end a bevel gear 1. The enlarged end 34 of shaft 35 isI adapted to rest on its side remote from main shaft 6, on a suitable thrust bearing 24 supported by a portion of the slicer base-plate 36 through which shaft 35 also passes.

Bevel gear 'I is positively driven through a suitable transmission device which, in the exam@ ple illustrated comprises a shaft l5 journalled in bearings II supported on base plate 35 and carrying at its end nearest to bevel gear 'I a bevelV pinion 8a and at its other end a. second bevel pinion' 8 meshing with a bevel wheel 9 forming part of the standard slicer drive.

The portion 6a of main shaft 6 extending through storage chamber I is of diameter smaller than the portion 5b extending through chamber 2 and is surrounded by a sleeve I4. One end 31 of said sleeve is journalled in and extends slightly beyond the boss 2D of cover I8, while the other end 38 thereof abuts against a shoulder 39 formed by the increase in diameter of portion 6bv oi shaft 3. Intermediate these two ends and for theV greater portion of its length, sleeve I4 isexter- Y nally threaded and internally preferably of slightly largerreifective diameter than at said two ends, at which points at least, it is made a bearing't on the reduced portion 6a' of shaft ,6, either by the reduction of ,theV internal diameter of the sleeve or by the provision of asuitable liner (which Vshould however be affixed to thel sleeve or to the shaft but not to both) or in any other convenient and known manner;

The threaded portion of sleeve I4 carries a.

circular plate or disc I2 of diameter substantially equal to the internal diameterlof storage' chamber I, and having two or more slots 40 in its periph-A VYery adapted'to co-operate with a like number of longitudinally extending guides I3 formed on the interior of said chamber I, so that upon rotation of the sleeve I4, plate I2 will be propelled axially along the cylinder I without rotation. Y

, As best seen in Figs; ,3 to 5, the endrof the reduced portion 6a. of shaft 6 is squared and extends beyond the end 31 of sleeve I4 andlcarries an excentric I5 loosely mounted thereon and se- Y cured by means of a split pin or the like if necessary. Said excentric has a portion I5a excentricV to shaft 6a and concentri'cally mounted in a strap portion I5bV which, on the side facing Ythe cover I8 carrieson'a depending pin 4I a pawl I6 adapt- Yed intermittently to engage with the teeth of a ratchet wheel I1 carried by end 31 of sleeve I4. VThe free end of said pin 4IV is adapted Y to reciprocate in a recess 42Y so V'that as'the ex- Vcerntrically mounted portion I5a` ofY excentric I5 is rotated byA shaft 6a, the'pawl'iwill be brought into and out of engagement Ywith said ratchet Wheel I 1 as indicated in'dotted position in` Fig,V 5, the exact'movement and shape of the Ypawl and ratchet teeth being such thatV upon each engagement of pawl I6 with wheel I1 the latter and consequently sleeve I4, is caused tomove through a part'of a turn, thus moving plate I2 a short distance axially of cylinder I.

VVOn the thicker portion 6b of shaft 6 ismounted a roller 3'of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of cylinder 2 and extending through it longitudinally for substantially' the whole of its length thus forming an annular space between the wall of chamber 2 and thesurface of the roll-v to permit of Veasy withdrawal of the former.'

The'other end 45 of member 2| is shaped to conform with the contour of the centralL portion of the cutter holder 23 of the Slicer and is` adapt- Ved to make la dovetail joint therewith as shown.`

The general shape of member 2I is such that the buttering machine will be supported `'with the` longitudinal opening' 5 at right angles to the direction vof motionV of the moving table 46 of the 'slice'r and at such distance therefrom that as the bread is carried towards the cutter'23a the outer face of the slice about to bereut lightly contacts through'slots with the exposed portion of the layer of butter with which the rol'ler 3 is covered as hereinafter explained.

The machine operates as follows. The cover I8 of the storage Vchamber I is removed by undoing Y.

nuts I9 and withdrawing the cover which will carry with it the sleeve I4, and plate I2 as well as the external driving mechanismY I5, I6, I1. If a split-pin is used normally to prevent the excentric I5 from being withdrawn from the shaft, such split-pin or similar locking device should of course first be removed.

Chamber I is -now iilled with butter which has previously been warmed to a suitable soft condi- Ytion and, after plate I2 has been spun-back to its starting positionithat is to say as closejas possible tothe inner face of cover I8, the sleeveV is `slipped over the end of shaft 6 and the cover replaced care being taken to see that the slots 40 in plate I2 engage properly with guides I3.

Upon replacement of the nuts I9 (and if necessary of the split-pin or the like) the machine is ready for use. Assuming that it has been mounted on a slicer as indicated, if the latter is now operated, as .for example Vto cut bread, bevel wheel 8 will rotateV and will throughthe gearing and tongue hereinbeforereferredV to, drive shaft 6. Roller 3 will thereupon rotate as will excen-` tric I5 whichfwillas already described intermittently drive ratchet Vwheel I1 .to cause plate I2 to advance along cylinderV I Vthus forcing' the thereincontained butter out ofthe reduced Yend 30 and into cylinder 2. Plate, I2 will Vof course continue to advance intermittently as long as the machine operates. Theconical end of roller 3 will cause 'the butter to dividev and Vpass into the annular space between the-roller'an-d the wall of cylinder' 2, thus;v providing a layer of butter which is gripped bythe roughened surface of the roller 3 vand opening 5.

thereby carried round past.

As the Slicer/operates, the loaf Vfrom which the slices are to be cut will be reciprocatedjacross opening 5 but'only during its working stroke will it have been brought by the normal operation of the'slicer mechanism, sufficiently close to saidV opening for it to make contact withthe layer of butter exposed therethrough. As saidV layer is not stationary but is `continually being rotated by means of `roller 3, it will be clear that a smear- `ing' or spreading movement has been obtained which practical experiments have shown to be highly .eiiicient and satisfactory. i

When it is desired to use the slicer for cold meats or the like not requiring to be buttered, the buttering machinemay easily be removed by lifting it verticallyout of engagement with the member 2I and moving it cleary of the slicer.V

Itiwill be clear to those skilled in -the artthat theembodiment hereinabove described may be modified in a varietyof ways without therebyv departing from the-nature and scope of the invention. The gear ratio between bevel wheel 9 and bevel gear 1may be arranged so thatr the linear speed of the butter layer past opening 5 is equal to or greateror less than that of' the bread.,

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performedwhat I claim is:

Vl. A machine for automatically buttering 'slices of bread cut by a rotary mechanical Slicer of conventional type having a mainV drive, said Vmal chine comprising a cylindrically bored upper chamber adapted to contain a supply of butter, a d

lower cylindrically bored chamber secured co'- axially to and of smaller internal diameterethan said upper chamber, a discharge orifice in the cylindrical Wa-ll of said lower chamber. a Yroller coaxially and` rotatablyk mounted within and of smaller diameter than the lower chamber, thus forming an annular space surrounding said roller, propelling means extending into said upper chamber for forcing the butter downwards into said annular space, driving: means for positively rotating said rollen actuating means. for driving said propelling means,. and coupling means for coupling the said actuating and driving'means to the main drive of the slicer.

2. A machin-e for automatically buttering slices of bread cut by a rotary mechanical slicer of any known type having amain drive, said machine comprising a cylindrically bored upper chamber adapted to contain a supply of butter, a cylindrically bored lower chamber of smaller internal diameter than and secured coaxially to said upper chamber, a discharge orice in the cylindrical wall of the lower chamber, a roller coaxially and rotatably mounted within and of smaller diameter than said lower chamber, propelling means extending into/.said upper charnber for forcing the butter from the upper into the lower chamber, and actuating means for driving said propelling means wherein the end' of said lower chamber remote from the upper chamber is provided with a detachable cover having a centrally disposed bearing and said roller is carried by a shaft one end of which is journalled in and projects beyond said bearing and carries propulsion means cooperating with transmission means. coupled to the main drive of the slicer the other end of the shaft extending through and beyond said upper chamber and carrying means co-operating with said actuating means for transmitting the drive to said propelling means.

3. A machine for automatically buttering slices of bread cut by a rotary mechanical slicer of any known type, comprising an upper chamber adapted to contain a supply of butter, a lower chamber of smaller internal diameter extending co-axially from said upper chamber, and having a. discharge orifice in its wall, an end-plate for the end of said lower chamber remote from the upper chamber, a centrally disposed bearing in said end plate, a shaft extending through both said chambers and having one end journalled in and projecting beyond said bearing, a roller of smaller diameter than said lower chamber, mounted on said shaft and lying within said lower chamber, propelling means extending into said upper chamber for forcing the butter down into said lower chamber and actuating means for said propelling means, wherein the end of the upper chamber remote from said lower chamber is pro-vided with a cover having a centrally disposed bearing member and the end of said shaft remote from the lower chamber passes through and extends beyond the bearing member in said co-ver and said actuating means comprises an excentric mounted on said shaft on the side of said cover remote from the upper chamber, a pin carried by said excentric, a pawl mounted on said pin, a ratchet wheel operatively associated with said propelling means and adapted to be intermittently moved by said pawl in response to rotation of said excentric and a radial guide slot for said pin in said cover.

4. A machine for automatically buttering slices .of bread cut by a rotary mechanical slicer of any known type said machine comprising a cylindrically bored upper chamber adapted to contain a supp-ly of butter, a lower cylindrically bored chamber of smaller internal diameter than and detachablyy and coaxially secured to said upper chambena dischargeprice in they cylindrical wall ofthelower chamber, a roller coaxially and rotatably mounted within and of smailerY diameter thanv the lower chamber, propelling means for forcing the` butter from the upper into the lower chamber, and actuating means for said propelling means comprising a sha-ft extending through both said chambers, an excentric mounted onone endthereof,V a pin carried by said excentric,. a,A pawl` mounted on said pin, and a ratchet wheel operatively associated with said propellingmeans, wherein said propelling means inciudes a-sleeve surroundingsaid shaft and extending in one direction beyond the end of said upper chamber remote from said lower chamber and'in the other direction to within a short distance ci the end of the upper chamber which is secured to the lower chamber, said sleeve having the major portion of its length intermediate its two ends screwthreaded, a disc of diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the upper chamber concentrically mounted on the threaded portion of said sleeve, slots in the edge of said disc, longitudinal straight guide members provided Ion the inner surface of said upper chamber and adapted to co-operate with said slots for compelling said disc to move longitudinally -of said upper chamber upon rotation of said sleeve, said ratchet wheel being mounted on the end of said sleeve which extends beyond said upper chamber.

5. A machine for automatically buttering slices of bread cut by a rotary mechanical slicer of any known type, said machine comprising a cylindrically bored upper chamber adapted to contain butter, a cylindrically bored lower chamber coaxially and detachably secured to said upper chamber, a discharge orifice in the cylindrical wall of the lower chamber, a roller coaxially and rotatably mounted within vand of smaller diameter than the lower chamber, an. end-plate for the end of said lower chamber, remote from said upper chamber, a'centrally disposed bearing in said end-plate, a shaft having one end journalled in and projecting beyond said bearing, and extending through both said chambers, an externally threaded sleeve surrounding the portion of said shaft lying within said upper chamber, a disc of diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the upper chamber concentrically mounted on the threaded portion of the sleeve, and actuating means for said sleeve wherein the end of said upper chamber remote from said lower chamber is provided with a detachable cover having a centrally disposed bearing member and said shaft has in the neighborhood of the line of junction between the two chambers an abutment, upon which one end of said sleeve rests, the other end thereof being journalled in and extending beyond said bearing member, said sleeve being a bearing nt on said shaft at least at its two ends.

6. A machine for automatically buttering slices of bread cut by a rotary mechanical Slicer of any known type having a base plate and a main drive, said machine comprising an upper chamber adapted to contain a supply of butter, a lower chamber detachably and coaxially joined at one end to said upper chamber, a discharge orice in the cylindrical wall of the lower chamber, a roller coaxially and rotatably mounted within and Vof smaller diameter than the lower chamber, a cover for the end of said upper chamber remote from said lower chamber, a centrally disposed bearing member in said cover, anY endo-plate for Vthe end of the lower chamber, remote from the upper` chamber, a centrally disposed bearing in said end-plate, driving means for said roller consisting of a shaft having a lower end journalled in and projecting beyond said bearing and an upper Y end passing through and beyond said bearing Vmember, propelling means extending into said upper chamber for-*forcing the butter therein contained into said lowerV chamber, actuating means for said propelling means carried by the upper end of said shaft and coupling means for coupling said driving means;v to the vmain drive ofthe slicer wherein the said shaft has its upper end squared and "its lower en'd cut4 to form a tongue and said coupling means comprises an auxiliary shaft mounted on the base plate of the slicer and having a recess cut in one of its ends and suitably connected at its other end to said main drive, said tongue beingV adapted slidably 'to t in said recess.

7. A machine for automatically buttering slices ber for Yforcing the therein contained butter into: the lower chamber, roller means in said lowerV chamber for positively moving the butter past said orifice wherein a supporting arm is provided for supporting said Vmachine and rigidly connecting it to the slicer, said supporting arm having one extremity shaped to correspond with the contour of the central*` portion of said cutter holder, and being adapted to be detachably affixedthereto, the other extremity of the arm being shaped detachably to receive said raisedflat surface.

ANIBAL AGUSTIN CAMBIASSO. 

